Personal Development Re-Imagined

Security Does Not Exist which is Great News

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” – Helen Keller

Helen Keller was def & blind for most of her life yet lived a rich, exciting, meaningful life. She frequently traveled to different countries, offered so much to the community and never let her disabilities limit her potential.

Security isn’t a law of nature, it usually isn’t even the norm, there are no guarantees in life. Security is something we created and choose to believe to mentally cope with danger. Security allows us to live our lives in a predictable pattern. This predictability tricks us into thinking that as long as we are doing the same things, we know what will come next, and will be ready for it. This is a false belief. At any moment, one’s life can be turned upside down breaking one’s daily pattern, and shattering one’s false sense of security. At any moment the phone could ring with some real bad news. At any moment one can lose their job, get fired or laid of. At any moment one might be involved in a life threatening driving accident that’s not even their fault. There is nothing one can do to avoid danger.

This idea might sound very sad and negative. However it’s really great news. Think about it, if life is always safe, predictable, what would be the point? We would always know what happens next, we would never even have any good stories to tell. If people don’t experience tragedies, and awkward situations, what would be left to talk about, get excited over, or seek help for. There would be no motivation to do anything great even, everyone would just do enough to get by. There would be no need for self improvement or growth.

You must be very careful not to let fear stop you or limit you. Unpredictability is a part of life, so as long as your choosing to wake up everyday and get out of bed, you must accept life for what it is, an unpredictable playground. Accepting that life is dangerous and unpredictable allows you to take more calculated risks. It frees you from a lot of your limitations that are based on fear. It’s also a motivation to take more smaller risks and make your life more exciting. Most of the everyday risks aren’t only small but have trivial worst case consequences. However the rewards and learning that results from those risks can be very rewarding and enriching to ones life experience.

You must also start accepting life for what it is, and enjoying the present moment, because in reality it could be all you have left. There is no guarantee that anyone will live to be 70 or 80 or 90 years old. This is freeing because it means you can and should start enjoying life now. Don’t put off that international trip you have been wanting to take. Don’t put off that beach vacation you’ve been delaying. Don’t put off that fun class you have been wanting to sign up for. Start enjoying life and having fun today. You should by all means have and work on your goals, building a brighter future. However at the same time you must accept the present for what it is, and enjoy it. A healthy balance between enjoying the present and also working on a better future is a must because life is a journey not a destination.

Stop shying away and trying to live in your imaginary box of safety. It’s boring, it’s not real, and even if you don’t take risks, unpredictable danger might still find you. Shatter that box of predictability and security, replacing it with a new box. A box of total acceptance and appreciation for how far you’ve come and how much progress you made in life.